New York City Rules The Elite 24
BROOKLYN, NY - The Elite 24 on Saturday did not disappoint. Held at the iconic Brooklyn Pier, talent from all over the nation converged on the outdoor court. In a battle between a Bronx native and a Queens native, Isaiah Washington’s Team Clutch and Trevon Duval’s Team Drive put on a show and in overtime, Team Drive would take home a slim 140-136 victory.
From the onset, Team Drive forged ahead early after trailing by 6 points as the tandem on Duval, one of the top point guards in the nation, fed the ball to Hamidou Diallo for high flying finishes above the rim. A 21-2 run soon left Team Clutch down 27-8 with 12:27 left in the half. They never led again.
Down 66-49 at the half, Washington decided to take it to Team Drive by going one-on-one against Duval and help closed the gap to 12 points with 5:26. Team Clutch kept the pressure on and they were soon within 5 points of the lead. A three-ball by MJ Walker with 22.4 seconds and a goaltending call on Diallo sent the game into OT tied at 129 apiece.
In the first overtime, Team Drive pulled ahead and outscored Team Clutch 11 to 5 to secure the win. Although Washington appeared to win the mano y mano battle against Duval with 36 points & 2 assists, Duval ultimately won the battle and the game, notching 25 points and 9 assists.
There was a six-way tie for Elite 24 MVP honors with Duval, Zion Williamson (23 points & 6 rebounds) and Diallo (22 points & 6 rebounds) winning for Team Drive while Washington, Austin Wiley (22 points & 12 rebounds) and Jalek Felton (16 points & 4 assists) won for Team Clutch. Washington’s 36 points was 2 points from the 38 point Elite 24 scoring record set by Lance Stephenson in 2007. Stepenson also holds third place with 29 points.
